08 May, 2006

What Does It Take To Get Us To Pray?

I saw this cartoon, and thought it was humorous, but then it got me to thinking, "What does it take to get some people to pray?"
I have always found to be one of the most perplexing challenges I face as a pastor to get people to pray. It is just a reality that many people simply do not pray unless they are in a crisis situation. Once the situation is over, so is their prayer life. Ever wonder if one reason we face so many situations in life is because God is trying to draw us into a consistant prayer life? Or maybe the opposite is true; we don't pray, so we tend to find ourselves out of God's will in in one mess after another.

It seems so far removed from us now, but do you remember what it was like on September 11, 2001 and the days that followed? People were calling me and asking, "Can we come to the church and pray?" In the town where I was living, a community prayer meeting was quickly called and by that afternoon, hundreds lined the courthouse lawn and blocked streets around it as men, women and children gathered to pray. Funny, today they've taken down the 10 Commandments that hung there and you'd probably be arrested if you stood on that property and prayed in Jesus' name over a loud speaker like we did on that day. How soon we forget.

My mind is just wondering today... What will it take to get us to call on the Name of the Lord again?

3 comments:

Deborha's Palm Tree said...

Pastor, I have been asking that question for years! The cartoon is hilarious! thanx for the laugh...

Sean McKee said...

It is God will that His people pray so He will do whatever it takes to get us to.

ruthrap said...

Darrell, I'm just now being able to read your blog and have been trying to leave comments unsuccessfully, our computer has been messed up for about 3 weeks now. So---------here goes!